Gaza (Arabic: غزة, Hebrew: עזה ) is a Palestinian city in the Gaza
Strip, approximately southwest of Jerusalem, with a population of
410,000, making it the largest city under the control of the
Palestinian National Authority. Inhabited since at least the 15th
century BCE, Gaza has been dominated by several different peoples
and empires throughout its history. The Philistines made it a part
of their pentapolis after the Ancient Egyptians had ruled it for
nearly 350 years. Under the Romans and later the Byzantines, Gaza
experienced relative peace and its port flourished. In 635, it
became the first city in Palestine to be conquered by the Rashidun
army and quickly developed into a center of Islamic law. However,
by the time the Crusaders invaded the city, it was in ruins. In
later centuries, Gaza experienced several hardships from Mongol
raids to floods and locusts, reducing it to a village by the 16th
century when it was incorporated into the Ottoman Empire. During
the first half of Ottoman rule, the Ridwan dynasty controlled Gaza
and under them the city went through an age of great commerce and
peace.
Gaza fell to British forces during World War I, becoming
a part of the British Mandate of Palestine. As a result of the 1948
Arab-Israeli War, Egypt administered the newly-formed Gaza Strip
territory and several improvements were undertaken in the city.
Gaza was captured by Israel in the Six-Day War in 1967, but in
1993, the city was transferred to the Palestinian National
Authority. Hamas took over the city in 2007 after months of clashes
with its rival Fatah, and has been under a blockade by Israel. (via
Wikipedia)
